One-on-One with John Williams
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
Anyone who thinks the U.S. is in recovery should stop listening to the mainstream media and listen to John Williams. He heads up Shadowstats.com, and is one of the few economists who crunches the numbers to give unvarnished true statistics. Adjusted for real inflation of about 7%, Williams says, “GDP has plunged, and we have been bottom bouncing” ever since the financial crisis started. Williams says, “The next crash will be a lot worse (than 2008) because it will push us into the early stages of hyperinflation.” He predicts this will happen “by the end of 2014– at the latest.” Long before 2014, Shadowstats.com thinks there is a good chance of “panic selling of the U.S. dollar,” if the Federal Reserve starts another round of money printing (QE3) to save the system and the big banks.
No matter what Williams predicts, “There will eventually be a crisis to bring the system down as we know it. . . . We’re on the brink.” According to Williams, “at some point, you will see a new currency in the U.S.” The founder of Shadowstats.com sat down for a one on one interview with Greg Hunter to talk about the mathematical certainty of a systemic collapse in the not-so-distant future.
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About the Author
Greg Hunter
Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.
I am always fascinated by william’s pin-point predictions…i am gonna profit from this…
Thanks Greg
John seems to have a much better understanding of where we are headed than the President, Congress, MSM and their mainstream economist. How could this be? Are they all really stupid or just lying?
Speaking of lying, the value of our home skyrocketed from 149 thousand to 163 thousand according to our property taxes due this year. The Realtor’s here in Ft Worth are posting photo’s in and close to our neighborhood with prices they supposedly sold for. My wife and I went to the new owners with these printed out articles and asked whether this was really what they paid for the house. Guess what? The 4 owners we have talked to so far have said they paid from 20 thousand to 60 thousand less than the Realtor’s posted. We have written statements from them with the Realtor’s postings and are contesting our taxes. I want to file charges but am sure I am outnumbered by liar’s. Seems everyone is grabbing what they can as fast as they can.
Thank you Jim. Again, I think the ignorance is willful.
Greg
Hi Greg, I’ve been a fan for many months now. Most alternative media on the net paints doom and gloom everywhere. You’re the most solid of the lot.
That being said, I still would like to know how to prepare?
All I hear is FEMA camps, troops in the streets, total breakdown, in other words no hope at all.
As a middle class husband and father, it becomes very hard on where to turn, I mean this.
You asked J williams how can the average person prepare? He really did not answer!
It’s fine to say buy gold and silver, but most of us are just trying to raise our family and live.
Will it be total breakdown? Lawlessness? Troops in the streets? If so whats the point.
It sounds like the average person in the USA will be rounded up like the Jews were on the 30’s.
Will it be that bad? So what do we do?
Tony,
You must prepare to your highest ability and if that means to cut back on things now then please do it. Get your house in order and all repairs done. If you are close on needing new tires, get them now. Get your vehicles in good working order. You should store some dried food and bottled water as insurance. I do not think all people will be rounded up like cattle, but the unprepared may have no choice but to go to a FEMA camp because they will not be able to take care of themselves. If you can, buy silver coins. Whatever you do, do not sit and do nothing. Do not declare defeat before the battle starts.
Greg
Hi Tony,
First, know what you are spending, and where. List all recurring monthly bills and one time purchases. Place them in catagories, like utilities, gas, food, media, entertainment, clothing, house payment, car payment, credit car payment, etc. It will be an eye opener.
Second, I’d like to introduce myself as a 25%’er. It is a loose knit group in my community that is dedicated to cutting our overall monthly expenses by 25%. But, make sure that you are not overly aggressive and burden yourself with a regiment that is intolerant. You will end up ditching it.
Examples:
We turned off the big dish, put up an antenna with booster, signed up for DSL and bought a Roku. We have more TV than we can ever watch, and we saved 50% of our home media, internet and phone costs.
Grow, grow, grow. That is if you like gardening. If you don’t, and some of our members don’t, a hanging basket of cherry tomatoes, a bucket of basil, a couple of fruit trees will cut your costs.
Learn to make your own things. Buy as little prepackaged as you can. I make my own detergent for about $10.00 a year. If you feel your clothes are looking dingy, I have a box of Tide I bought on sale going into its third year.
Coupons are your friends.
Everything in the house is on a strip that is turned off when we are finished. No vampires, squids or otherwise.
Our water heater is on a timer. We heat one tank a day. Friends with children usually heat twice a day. If you are a working family, why are you heating water all day long, nobody is there, or all night long, everyone is sleeping. And it is a big savings.
Sorry for the lengthy post, I could go on and on, and usually do. It helps if you have a loose knit community. You tend to feed off each other.
Oh, and pay off everything you can.
Hello Tony,
All the Doom and Gloom, can get a person down, but you do not have to feel that way. A good way to prepare is to look at those who suffered through hurricane’s Katrina and Andrew. Lots of misery and death would have been avoided by making good decisions and then acting on them. Think ahead. Get a plan. Get out of debt. Stay out of debt. Put a little away for a rainy day. Some is better than none.
Clip those coupons and take advantage of sales. Bulk buy. You do not have to always buy brand new and you fine good things at Thrift stores and at real low prices. Take a look at what you envionment around you and use it to the best of your advantage. City or country.
Look up survival cites on the internet. Lots of info. Be creative and think of things with multiple uses. You create your own Hope and Security. Better to have one lighted candle than to face total darkness. The last point is that I do not have Facebook Twitter or text. Restrict myself to good T.V. programing. I do a lot of internet research. But just one good Electromagnet Pulse from a solar flare would shut down all the electronics. Imagine a populace with no Ipods,phones,texting E-games, cars and cable. Learn to do small.
Wonderful interview. I would love to hear John’s response to people like Mish Shedlock who think the banks won’t release the excess liquidity creating deflation instead of inflation.
It is going to get worse, watch as the 3 branchs of gov us the military to protect themselves & their wealth, does SOPA, NDAA, and all the other laws being drawned up in back room close doors! Cell tracking & drones the size of a damn fly flying around your house. The fly strips will sell like crazy & hackers will learn to take control over these drones & I hope they expose the gov crooks & bankers as they go into hiding.
Direct deposit is coming to make a moneyness system so all can be tracked & the black market & barder you better learn fast! I could add a ton of data I have come across in the last few yrs that should worry all who use the net! Many sites have stopped commets for many reasons & more are doing the same, fear of gov using those comments to track people who love freedom, like Icelander’s! Great work Greg.
Time will tell.
Great interview Greg! I love the new interview plus article format it makes the content of your excellent site even more robust.
Here are a couple of individuals/ websites you might check out. These are good down to earth practical preparedness resources. I don’t think a lot of people will be able to do much in the way of gold, silver or land but they can do what these individual suggest as system shock absorbers. Here are their links if they work for you great! If not just thought I would put them out there for you and your audiences review.
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/
http://www.backyardfoodproduction.com/tsp
Also here was my dart at a board on what I think prices are going to look like during high and hyper inflation. I created a mathematical formula to index inflation to the restaurant industry from the 70’s until now. In my opinion close counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and telling the future. You asked John for a price estimate on goods during inflation. However, not many people have put out a guestimate on what prices will look like in the future on paper; so I thought I would provide mine again for the same reasons mentioned above.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33289154/M-A-O-U-S-scitzoflation#page=1
Published: 06 / 19 / 2010 p.s I nailed gas prices in it, unfortunately. We will see on the rest.
Keep up the excellent work on you informative and important “news channel.” I deny those of the MSM the dignity of that term.
Thank you Mike!!
Greg
Wow, what a great interview with John Williams ! I make a habit to read your website everyday and now that you include live interviews with such knowledgeable guests as John, makes your site the first one I open every morning. Thanks again, Greg, you are indeed a professional journalist.
Thank you Rick!!
Greg
Greg,
Thanks for having Mr. Williams on. Both of you tell it like it is, not like the MSM
I forgot to mention the nice interview with John Williams. However, this gives me a chance to ask a question of you Greg. If there is some truth in the info we get that the elite [ie] Rothchilds etc. are bringing this system down with intent, why is this info not being reported by you and others? History has proven again and again that the true snake head is not the fed but these few old men who worship satan. They want this so called ‘New World Order’ crap. If you could comment at some point [Perhaps you’ve already done so] I would be grateful. Thanks again Greg————————
Bob,
The elites may intentionally be bringing down the system, but I cannot find the documents and sources to prove it. That said, I can prove and source the system is in the process of coming down whether it is intentional or not. I believe the elites are doing everything in their power to keep the system afloat for as slong as they can. Thank you for your comment and question.
Greg
Here is one that might give you a start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdu0N1-tvU&feature=player_embedded#!
Thank you Steve. This is very good!
Greg
Greg.
I really enjoy putting a face with the name. John Williams for president.
Well it cant be worse then the RomnOboma of no choice.
thank you for your faithfull articals.
Thank you Jay. John Williams is a good man.
Greg
John is my hero! His website is the only place where accurate data can be found on government BS from the BLS!. I have always wanted to ask John for his inflation calculations vs the BLS and the long term effect on everything from SSI to the SNAP program.
I have found that the government is using inflation to short change poor people and deplete their actual benefits with inflation….
Excellent video! Jim Rogers AND Peter Schiff are in sync with John on a timeline for our major problems coming out year end 2014 at the latest.
I disagree with not “making money” off of inflation. You can sell precious metals to pay off fiat currency debts. Also, the fiat ruin of paper assets will drive up gold and silver HIGHER than the rate of inflation as people flood to them.
Fair enough Doug. Good point!!
Greg
Thanks Greg for continueing to fullfill your calling of being the Watchman on the Wall……exposing the scullduggery of the elites…..be carefull at some point they will attempt to censor the truth……..God Bless You
Thank you Kenny for your support!
Greg
I am so glad to have found you. I watched your interview with Max Keiser.
Thank you tsuki.
Greg
Everyone quotes shadowstats but has anyone ever seen the actual working figures that support these stats? It is all nice to say inflation is 7% and not 2% but without documentation of the way this figure is arrived at it is suspect.
Greg,
Thank You for the video and article. Mr. Williams is spot on. Getting your house in order is the wise thing to do. Stocking up on food stuff and buying some silver might the best route to take if you are financially limited, like myself.
Costco has some Emergency food items that might be a good start for you Tony. Try and budget $50.00 per month to stock up on dry food, water, cereal, grains, etc. Also you’ll need something to cook it on, such as a grill, or smoker, and a generator if no electricity. Make a list of items that most likely will be hard to find if there is an emergency. Most importantly, don’t forget to get your ‘spiritual’ house in order too. Hope this helps, God Bless.
Valerie
Thank you Valerie.
Greg
Hey Greg;
Great interview with John W. Shadowstats is the one place to go to for accurate economic numbers. The numbers that John provides has helped me steer my company through these times.
One of the above commenters wanted some hard advice:
-Store non pershiable foods and consumables (toilet paper, batteries, etc.). Will keep the family fed and comfortable. Excess can be used for barter.
-Learn to garden. Collaborate with like-minded neighbors to barter foods back and forth.
-Get a “home maintenance for dummies” book and the tools it recommends.
-Set aside some precious metals, several people rec. the following rule of thumb: one hundred dollars face value junk silver and one ounce of gold per family member. Good insurance.
-Learn a basic skill (if you don’t already have one), carpentery, plumbing, sewing, etc. Will be especially important if your current livelihood is as an office worker.
-Learn first aid (and beyond). A great book for advanced first aid is “Medicine for Mountaineering”.
-Learn to protect yourself. Public services are already overextended and will be further compromised as cities/states go bankrupt.
Thank you Steve for helping put our readers and for the comment.
Greg
Greg,
Thanks for sharing another great interview with us.
I know there is a lot of people disagree with John William’s prediction. Their major argument is that the U.S. dollar will never fail because there is nothing in the world can replace it. I think there is a little bit of the “Too Big to Fail” mentality but there are some truths in it.
Although the U.S. dollar is declining, it is still the strongest and the most popular currency in the world. Currently, there is no other alternative currency that can replace the U.S. dollar globally. Because of the EU debt crisis, Euro is clearly not a good alternative. Chinese Yuan Renminbi would be a good alternative to the U.S. dollar but many people are concerned with the political stability of a communist country.
My friend travels between the U.S. and China for business almost every other month. He told me that some Chinese believed that the shift of U.S. military to Asia is strategically planned to destabilize the region and try to scare off investors in China. In addition to attracting more foreign investments in the U.S., it also makes the U.S. dollar more appealing than the Chinese Yuan Renminbi. Even some rich people in China are moving their money to the U.S.
However with the support of the U.S., the conflicts between China and its neighbor countries (Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, etc.) have been escalating. It may not be the U.S. intent to start a war in Asia, but it is certainly pushing it.
Ambrose
Interesting Ambrose!! Thank you for posting this comment.
Greg
Greg.
I just read this.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-26/draghi-may-enter-twilight-zone-where-bernanke-fears-to-tread
seems to me this would cause a massive sell off?
Am i reading this right? the banks will now charge to use the banks.
I think stocks and gold would climb Jay, but what do I know. Thank you for bringing this to our attention here!!
Greg
Are you being a tad bit extreme here, Greg by saying this?
You should store some dried food and bottled water as insurance. I do not think all people will be rounded up like cattle, but the unprepared may have no choice but to go to a FEMA camp because they will not be able to take care of themselves.
I’ve lived in a third world country that went through hard times and even there it didn’t get as bad as you are describing above.
NM,
It is not just me saying this but many others. The debt in the world and in the banks is unprecedented. It has never been this large (on global scale) in the history of finance and money. The EU is still warning this week of systemic failure. It is prudent to prepare in case there is some sort of failure. People prepare for hurricanes and earthquakes. Why not for a man made disaster cause by greed and near zero regulation. The OTC derivative market (according to the BIS) is North of $700 trillion. Who knows what will happen. Again, the world has never been here before. Having some food and water is very cheap insurance and you can always use the stuff if the worst does not happen. I am not saying to live in a cave or bet the farm on survival gear. I am saying to hedge your living situation and this is very cheap to do. Your experience in a third world nation has nothing to do with what might happen if the powers loose control of a very difficult global monetary position. Go unprepared at your own peril. The short answer to your question is No.
Greg
NM,
I don’t think Greg’s statements are extreme. He, along with John Williams and many others, see the problems in the U.S. economy (as well as the global economy) and try to warn us.
If you lived in a third world country that went through hard times, then you should know that you cannot rely on the government to save you when disasters strike. Remember the U.S. Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005? How about the Japan earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima nuclear disasters in 2011? History teaches us that governments often fail to help the disaster victims in time.
The widespread budget crisis in state and local governments has caused dramatic cuts of police and firefighters. If it is a non-life-threatening crime, you are encouraged to report it online and it will be investigated later. Even 911 calls are severely delayed. Recently a woman found someone robbing her house and she called 911. The police arrived one hour later – of course the robbers already left. The police explained the delay was due to overwhelming 911 calls and lack of manpower. Lucky for the woman – she was not inside her house or who know what might happen to her. My friend, who has been a long time anti-gun advocate, bought a gun a few days after he read the story. He told me that he no longer think the police could protect his family.
It is a personal choice but I like to prepare for the worst. And yes, I do store canned food and bottled water for emergency. It is better to be safe than sorry. If the U.S. dollar really collapses, what would you do? Your banks are closed, your accounts are freeze, and your credit cards are no longer accepted… now what?
Ambrose
Please report this.
From letters sent to Michael Mashburn, SEC and Daniel Stefek, FINRA, from Tasha W. Sheehy, Enforcement Attorney, State of North Carolina Secretary of State
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/06/from-copy-of-letter-sent-to-michael.html
I just found usawatchdog. I think Mr. Williams is right. Getting your life in order is the wise thing to do. But I can’t come up with the thousands of dollars needed to buy that much freezed dried food.
I found a cheaper way. Beans, rice and grains.
How to feed a person for a year for less than $200
http://givemetheinfo.com/prepping-food-storage/
But one warning. If the whole neighborhood knows you have food, and they don’t………
I really like your style of interview, but plsssssssssssssssssssssssssssse get a new mic, the sound system is truly bad and your interviewing such precious people…..
Working on it Angee. This is a work in progress. Thank you for your support.
Greg
If they panic-sell the dollar, where would they go? Where is the dollar going to collapse on to?
Than,
Yen, Yuan, Canadian Dollar, Swiss Franc, (Euro, maybe) Gold, Silver, commodities, farm land. Plenty of other places to go.
Greg